Circumspection and foresight appear to be the thoughts of the Bivalve Mollusca and Snails.
Gazing upon a Snail, one believes that he finds the prophesying goddess sitting upon the tripod. What majesty is in a creeping Snail, what reflection, what earnestness, what timidity and yet at the same time what firm confidence! Surely a Snail is an exalted symbol of mind slumbering deeply within itself.
The old artists must have felt this signification, as in many of their representations they have introduced a Snail. One can hardly think, that in so doing they wished to express such common and lascivious ideas, as are at present manifested openly or secretly by our daily enjoyments.
3594. The intestine must moreover be concerned with the sense of taste. Taste, however, leads to voracity, gluttony, daintiness, sluggishness and drowsiness.
3595. Taste in union with the sexual function is the expression of venery or lust.
This is indicated by the secretion of slime, by the monstrous size too of the sexual organs, and by their androgynism, which enables either individual during copulation to enjoy the delicious feeling, belonging to the male and female, either at once or alternately. Their food also appears to be selected from a feeling of desire.
Circumspection in feeling, dainty voracity, and immoderate lust appear to constitute the spiritual character of the Malacozoa, especially of the Snails.
3. Functions of the Respiratory or Arthric Animals.
3596. The Insect is mainly an aerial and motor organ, and therefore its spirit is also of an aerial and motor kind.
The respiratory process produces strength, and this again courage, both which are the distinguishing properties of Insects. The Insect is the strongest and boldest animal upon the earth.